1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural implements, and, more particularly, to agricultural field tillage implements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Farmers utilize a wide variety of tillage implements to prepare soil for planting. Some such implements include two or more sections coupled together to perform multiple functions as they are pulled through the fields by a tractor. For example, a cultivator/harrow combination, which is capable of simultaneously tilling and leveling of the soil in preparation for planting, may be pulled by the tractor.
In one type of tilling operation, rows or gangs of circular disk blades are pulled through the soil at variable depths to break up clods of soil, as well as size and mix crop residue to provide a more amenable soil structure and condition for planting and to level the soil surface. The gangs of disks are arranged on frames that extend generally laterally with respect to the direction of movement through a field and more particularly are angled with respect to the direction of movement.
The tillage elements used in a tillage implement have a soil engaging depth that is controlled by way of a hydraulic control available to the operator. For combination tillage tools, the depth of the individual elements may be independently set by the operator moving the hydraulic control to lower or raise any or all of the tillage elements. For example, the depth of the ripper shanks is often adjusted by lowering or raising support wheels of the implement. At the same time the disk gang operating depth may be raised, lowered, or left alone. When the implement draft increases, for example on a slope or a wet area, the operator can reduce the soil depth of any of the tillage elements to allow the tractor to pull the implement through the field abnormality.
When residue mass on the field is reduced it is generally a good practice to reduce the tilling depth of the implement so that the soil closest to the surface has a consistent mixture of crop residue with the rest of the field and target soil coverage may be achieved for adequate soil conservation where slopes vary.
What is needed in the art is a tilling implement that adjusts residue incorporation in response to pre-determined crop residue mass and field topography.